Mouthpiece for musical instruments



July 9, 1957 F. B. ZOTTOLA MOUTHPIECE FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed Nov. 15, 1955 1N VENTOR A'I'TORNEXS Frank B Z0 50 [a Q'a/mWnjZ mQ/m, q

United States Patent MOUTHPIECE FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Frank B. Zottola, Port Chester, N. Y.

Application November 15, 1955, Serial No. 546,917

4 Claims. (Cl. 84-398) This invention relates to mouthpieces for musical instruments and more particularly to mouthpieces for musical instruments such as trumpets, cornets, trombones, and the like.

An object of this invention is to provide such a mouthpiece wherein the back bore is provided with a plurality of steps of increasing diameter from the throat to the outlet of the back bore.

Another object is to provide such a mouthpiece which insures the delivery of the tone produced by the player.

Another object is to provide such a mouthpiece in which the user may more easily express exciting tones in the higher register.

Another object is to provide such a mouthpiece in which the user may with less effort obtain reach in shakes," trills and other extreme demands required by the trend of music today.

Another object is to provide such a mouthpiece in which the user may produce volume and tone quality in all registers.

Another and still further object is to provide such a mouthpiece which gives immediate response and increases the endurance of the user.

I have found that these several objects may be obtained by providing a mouthpiece for musical instruments in which the back bore is provided with a plurality of steps of increasing diameter from the throat to the outlet of the back bore. This step construction is capable of various modifications and each step need not necessarily have the same increment of diameter change as the preceding or succeeding step and each step need not have the same length as the succeeding or preceding step.

I have found, however, and it is a preferred embodiment of my invention, that a mouthpiece which in every way satisfies the several objectives described above will have an equal increment of diameter change for each step and each step should have the same length as the preceding and succeeding steps.

A mouthpiece is shown in the accompanying drawings in accordance with a preferred embodiment of my invention in which each step has approximately the same increment of diameter change as every other step and in which the steps are of approximately equal lengths. It is to be expressly understood, however, this preferred em bodiment of my invention in no way limits the inventive concept and reference should be had to the appended claims for this purpose.

In the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters indicate like parts, Fig. 1 is a side View of a mouthpiece in accordance with my invention; and

Patented July 9, 1957 Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the mouthpiece of Fig. 1 showing in detail the arrangement of the stepped back bore therein.

Referring now to the drawings, the mouthpiece has a body 10 which is preferably round, tapering at 11 toward the outlet. The inlet end of body 10 has a bell-shaped portion 12 providing a tone chamber 13. A throat 14 connects tone chamber 13 with a tapered back bore 15 tapering toward the outlet of the mouthpiece.

Tapered back bore 15 is provided with a plurality of steps 16, 17, 18, and 19 each such step having approxi mately the same length as every other step and each step having approximately the same increment of diameter increase from throat 14 to the outlet of the mouthpiece.

In a typical mouthpiece in accordance with the present invention each step of the stepped back bore may be on the order of inch in length with an increment of diameter change between adjacent steps of approximately .057 inch. It is to be expressly understood, however, that my invention is not limited to these specific dimensions and that variations may be made in the increment of diameter change between steps and in the lengths of the steps without departing from my concept.

It should now be apparent that my invention in every 7 way satisfies the objectives described above.

Changes in or modifications to the above described illustrative embodiment of the present invention may now be suggested to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention and reference should therefore be had to the appended claims to determine the scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A mouthpiece for musical instruments having a bell-shaped tone chamber and a tapered back bore, a plurality of steps formed in said tapered back bore increasing in diameter away from said tone chamber.

2. In a mouthpiece for musical instruments having a tapered shank, a bell-shaped tone chamber, and a throat connecting the tone chamber to a tapered back bore in the shank, a plurality of steps in said tapered back bore increasing in diameter away from the throat.

3. In a mouthpiece for musical instruments having a tapered shank, a bell-shaped tone chamber, a throat for the tone chamber and a tapered back here connected to the throat, a plurality of steps in said tapered back bore of progressively increasing diameter away from the throat each of said steps having approximately the same increment of diameter change.

4. In a mouthpiece for musical instruments having a bell-shaped tone chamber connected to a tapered back bore through a restricted throat, a plurality of steps in said tapered back bore each of said steps having approximately the same length and having approximately equal increments of diameter change.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 275,918 Jones Apr. 17, 1883 2,232,608 Hulsaver Feb. 18, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS 422,795 Germany Dec. 14, 1925 

